Biological control perspectives in the pine forest (Pinus spp.), an environmentally friendly alternative to the use of pesticides

Abstract

<p>Forests are important for their economic, ecological, and social contribution to humanity. However, there is a decrease in the forest mass due to different causes such as fire, intensive agriculture, overgrazing, air pollution, and the presence of pests and diseases of fungal origin. A practice to deal with diseases caused by fungi has been the application of broad-spectrum, fungicides with negative consequences on the environment. Biological control is an alternative for disease management in pine species. Due to the need to conserve the diversity of pine species, this review addresses issues relevant to the importance of forests in the world, diseases in <em>Pinus</em> spp., fungal control by chemical and biological agents, referring to different biological control mechanisms and the most studied biofungicides such as <em>Trichoderma</em> sp. and <em>Bacillus</em> sp. in <em>Pinus</em> spp. The various scientific reports on the biological control of fungi in different pine species places it as a promising option in reducing the pathogenicity and incidence of fungal diseases with less negative effects on the environment than synthetic pesticides of chemical origin. Therefore, this review aims to transmit information on biological control in pine trees as a friendly alternative for the recovery of forests.</p>